1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing device used in this system and a recording medium used in this system. More particularly, this invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing device and a medium, which are designed to make the operational environment of a recording medium used only for a specific information processing device (for example, a game device owned by a user) different from that of a recording medium already used by another information processing device (for example, a game device other than that owned by a user).
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an information processing system has been suggested, which is designed to perform specified information processing operations on the basis of whether or not ID information of an information processing device is identical with ID information of a recording medium by setting a region where a specific identification number (mainly ID information) can be memorized in a recording medium such as a ROM cassette or CD-ROM. The related art is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) Publication No. Sho 5 (1930)-52967, Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) Publication No. Sho 9 (1934)-34799, Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) Publication No. Sho 9 (1934)-26875, and the like.
These prior art documents suggested countermeasures against the illegal use of software by comparing the identification number of an information processing device with the identification number of an information processing device stored in a recording medium, and if the numbers are not the same, they prevent illegal installation of a program stored in the recording medium to an HDD of the information processing device.
These above-mentioned prior art documents, however, prevent only the illegal installation of a program stored in a recording medium into an information processing device. No attention is paid to an information processing system used without installation of the program stored in a recording medium into an HDD of the device, for example, a system composed of a recording medium with a game program stored therein and a game device.
It is an object of this invention to provide an information processing system of the kind described above with varied information processing operational environment by differing the operational environment of a recording medium used solely for a specific information processing device (for example, a game device owned by an user) and the operational environment of a recording medium already used by another information processing device.
It is another object of this invention to provide an information processing system designed to enhance the value of a recording medium used solely for a specific information processing device by differing the operational environment thereof and the operational environment of a recording medium already used by another information processing device.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an information processing device used in the above-described information processing system, and a recording medium. Moreover, it is a further object of this invention to provide a game machine relating to this information processing system, and a recording medium for a game machine.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, the information processing system according to this invention comprises a recording medium and an information processing device. The recording medium comprises a first recording region and a second recording region. The information processing device either produces data recorded in the first recording region of the recording medium or executes a program recorded in the first recording region of the recording medium, and comprises recording means for recording it specific information into the second recording region of the recording medium. The information processing device further comprises comparing means for comparing specific information recorded from the recording means with specific information in the second recording region, and processing means for changing the operation of regenerating data in the recording medium or the operation of executing a program in the recording medium in accordance with the result of the comparison.
This invention makes it possible to provide an information processing system that enhances the value of a recording medium used solely for a specific information processing device (for example, a game device owned by a user) by differing the operational environment of the recording medium and the operational environment of a recording medium already used by another information processing device (for example, a game device other than the game device owned by a user).
At the same time, with the information processing system of this invention, if the specific information do not coincide with each other as a result of the comparison made by the comparing means, the processing means will limit the replaying operation of data recorded in the first recording region of the recording medium, or will limit the executing operation of a program.
It is preferable that the specific information be identification information of the information processing device. In this case, if the identification information of the information processing device is identical with the identification information of the recording medium it is determined that the recording medium has not been used by another information processing device. On the other hand, if the identification information is not the same, it is determined that the recording medium has already been used by another information processing device. In accordance with the result of these above-described determinations, the operation of regenerating data of the recording medium or the operation of executing a program will be changed.
The recording medium is, for example, a medium with a game program stored therein, and the information processing device is a game device. In this case, the processing means will change the operation of processing the game, the progress of which is controlled by the recording medium.
The medium and the information processing device according to this invention are the recording medium and the information processing device which are applied to the above-described information processing system.
Furthermore, the medium herein mentioned is a medium which has information (such as a game program) recorded in the first recording region thereof by way of some physical means, and which is capable of causing the information processing device such as a game device to operate a certain function such as execution of a game program. Without limitation to a game program, any medium in the form of a CD with music data or an LD with information such as animation data recorded therein may be used. In short, either a medium which downloads a program to a computer with some kind of measures, or a medium which reproduces music data or animated data will do.
Examples of the medium include a CD-R, game cartridge, floppy disk, magnetic tape, magneto-optical disc, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, ROM cartridge, RAM memory cartridge with a battery backup, flash memory cartridge, and nonvolatile RAM cartridge.
Communication media such as a wire communication medium like a telephone line, and a radio communication medium such as micro-wave are also included. The internet is also included in the above-mentioned communication media.
The above-mentioned medium comprises a second recording region apart from the above-mentioned first recording region, and this second recording region is used as the area for storing identification information of the information processing device (a game machine, for example). In this case, the second recording region can be composed of a nonvolatile memory.